Popular Bursaries in South Africa
Explore popular bursary and university funding opportunities in South Africa. Each opportunity below links to the organisation's official application or information page. Always check the official source for the latest eligibility requirements, application dates and instructions.
These are widely searched, well-established funding programmes. They are not ranked, and inclusion here is not an indication of how easy an opportunity is to win or how likely you are to be funded. Where SA Bursary Hub already holds a verified listing for a programme, we link to it so you can read the full details, but the funder's own website remains the final authority on eligibility, dates and instructions.
NSFAS
National student financial aid programme
The National Student Financial Aid Scheme is government funding for students from households that meet its means test. It covers tuition and registration at public universities and TVET colleges, with allowances that NSFAS sets each year. It is administered by government, not by a company, and there is no motivational letter or interview stage.
- Study fields
- All fields of study at public universities and TVET colleges
- Generally intended for
- South African citizens studying or planning to study at a public university or TVET college whose household income falls within the NSFAS means test.
- Application status
- Application windows are announced by NSFAS each cycle.
- Closing date
- Check the official application page.
Official application portal: myNSFAS
Funza Lushaka Bursary
Teaching bursary
A national teaching bursary run by the Department of Basic Education for students training as teachers in priority subject areas. Recipients teach at a public school for the same number of years they were funded, under the terms set out in the bursary agreement.
- Study fields
- Education, with priority given to specific school subjects
- Generally intended for
- South African citizens accepted into an approved initial teacher education qualification who intend to teach in a public school.
- Application status
- The 2026 application window closed on 31 January 2026. Check the official source for the next application cycle.
- Closing date
- 2026 cycle closed 31 January 2026.
Official application portal: funzalushaka.doe.gov.za
Sasol Bursary
Corporate bursary
Sasol runs its student funding through its own bursary portal, which carries separate programmes rather than one single bursary. Two 2027 programmes are currently listed with published closing dates: the Technician Development Programme and the Sasol Mining fence-line bursary for qualifying host communities.
- Study fields
- Engineering, mining, geology, mine surveying and related technical fields
- Generally intended for
- South African students who meet the academic and programme-specific criteria published on the Sasol bursary portal.
- Application status
- 2027 programmes listed with closing dates of 11 September 2026 (Technician Development Programme) and 13 September 2026 (Mining fence-line bursary).
- Closing date
- 11 and 13 September 2026, depending on the programme.
Official application portal: sasolbursaries.com
Eskom Bursary
Corporate bursary
Eskom advertises bursaries and other student opportunities through its own careers section, and separately through the Eskom Power Plant Engineering Institute, which funds postgraduate study in power plant engineering at partner universities. Availability changes with each intake.
- Study fields
- Engineering and power-related technical fields
- Generally intended for
- South African students who meet the academic requirements of the specific Eskom opportunity that is open at the time.
- Application status
- Eskom does not publish a fixed annual closing date on its careers page.
- Closing date
- Check the official application page.
Official information page: eskom.co.za/careers
Transnet Bursary
Corporate bursary
Transnet funds students through its Youth Development Programmes, which group bursaries, learnerships and other entry routes across its operating divisions. Opportunities open per division and per intake rather than on one national date.
- Study fields
- Engineering, logistics, transport and related technical fields
- Generally intended for
- South African students who meet the requirements of the specific Transnet opportunity that is advertised at the time.
- Application status
- Opportunities are advertised per intake on the Transnet Youth Development Programmes page.
- Closing date
- Check the official application page.
Official information page: transnet.net
Vodacom Bursary
Corporate bursary
Vodacom runs an external bursary programme through its own application portal, aimed largely at students in technology, engineering and commerce-related qualifications that match the roles the business recruits for.
- Study fields
- Engineering, information technology, data and commerce-related fields
- Generally intended for
- South African students who meet the academic criteria published on the Vodacom external bursary portal.
- Application status
- The official source gave 31 August 2026 as the closing date for the 2026 cycle. Check the portal for the next application cycle.
- Closing date
- 2026 cycle closed 31 August 2026.
Official application portal: externalbursary.vodacom.co.za
Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Fellowship
Fellowship programme
This is a fellowship, not a conventional corporate bursary. The Allan Gray Orbis Foundation selects candidates for its Fellowship Programme, which combines needs-based university funding with a structured entrepreneurial development programme, mentorship and a community of fellows. Selection runs through several rounds rather than a single form.
- Study fields
- Approved degrees at partner universities, with an entrepreneurial focus
- Generally intended for
- South African candidates who show entrepreneurial potential and meet the Foundation's academic and selection criteria.
- Application status
- The 2026 intake closed on 31 May 2026. Check the official source for the next selection cycle.
- Closing date
- 2026 cycle closed 31 May 2026.
Official information page: allangrayorbis.org
SAICA Thuthuka Bursary
Professional pathway bursary
The Thuthuka Bursary Fund is run by SAICA to grow the number of chartered accountants in South Africa. It funds accounting studies at accredited universities and adds academic and personal support alongside the funding. Eligibility requirements apply, including the criteria SAICA publishes for the programme.
- Study fields
- Accounting, on the CA(SA) pathway
- Generally intended for
- South African students pursuing the CA(SA) pathway who meet SAICA's published eligibility and academic requirements.
- Application status
- The current cycle closes 30 September 2026 according to the official source.
- Closing date
- 30 September 2026.
Official application portal: thuthukabursaryfund.co.za
StudyTrust Bursary & Scholarship Applications
Bursary administrator
StudyTrust is not a single bursary. It is a non-profit that administers a range of bursaries and scholarships on behalf of different funders. Students apply through the StudyTrust platform and are considered for the specific opportunities they qualify for, so the criteria and closing dates differ per fund.
- Study fields
- Varies by fund; several fields are covered across the funds administered
- Generally intended for
- South African students who meet the criteria of one or more of the individual funds StudyTrust administers.
- Application status
- Each fund has its own criteria and dates, published on the StudyTrust site.
- Closing date
- Check the official application page.
Official information page: studytrust.org.za
KPMG South Africa Bursary
Corporate bursary
KPMG South Africa offers bursaries through its graduate opportunities section, including a pure merit bursary awarded on academic performance and a merit bursary with financial need, which also takes household circumstances into account. The two are assessed differently, so read which one you are applying for.
- Study fields
- Accounting and related commerce qualifications
- Generally intended for
- South African students who meet the academic requirements KPMG publishes for the relevant bursary type.
- Application status
- The 2026 cycle closed on 31 March 2026. Check the official source for the next application cycle.
- Closing date
- 2026 cycle closed 31 March 2026.
Official information page: kpmg.com/za
Keep looking beyond the well-known names
The programmes above attract very large numbers of applicants precisely because everyone has heard of them. Smaller funders, provincial schemes, university faculty awards and sector training funds are far less crowded, and they are where a well-matched application often does better. Browse by the field you are actually studying rather than by brand name.
SA Bursary Hub editorial team
This guide is written from the South African application process and reviewed before publication. It is general guidance, not funder policy. How we verify information.